To all our loyal readers, website visitors, and advertisers, the PFFC staff wishes a heartfelt farewell as its owner, Penton Media Inc., has decided to discontinue producing the print magazine and all its electronic media products. Our August 2011 edition is our last print issue, and our September editorial content will be posted on our website with a Table of Contents available in our last E-Clips e-newsletter edition on August 23. Our pffc-online.com website will be open for people to find content until the end of October. The PFFC brand has served its converting audience since 1927, starting out as The Envelope Industry and morphing over the years to Paper, Film & Foil Converter in 1953 to the present.

If not for our readers, about whose innovative companies we reported over all these 84 years, there would have been no purpose to serve. If not for the expertise of many advertisers whose marketing messages have graced 1,014 published issues, serving our readers would not have been possible. To all who have mentored us over the years, especially the editorial staffs, please accept our deepest gratitude.

While I take a respite before digging in to my next endeavor, I hope to remain in contact with any of you who care to reach out to me at ysimonsis@yahoo.com. I jokingly told our VP of HR as he reluctantly handed me my separation package that I could only keep track of how many years I’ve been married (33 to be exact) by the number of years I’ve been an editor in this industry. Now how will I remember how long I’ve been married? I guess I’ll have to count on my husband Bob to keep track now, or as he says: “We’ve been married ten wonderful years . . . and 23 lousy ones!”

Because it takes a team to produce the words you read on the printed page and in our electronic products, my thanks go to so many people, but especially managing editor Claudia Hine, senior art director Michael Koch, associate editor/marketing manager Nsenga Thompson, contributors Debbie Donberg and Edward J. Boyle, as well as our expert consultants Timothy J. Walker, Kelly Robinson, and Mark Miller.

My gratitude goes equally to our sales team David Fay, Timothy Janes, and Julian Maddocks-Born as well as to our ace behind-the-scenes support by the ever-willing Cheryl Mangano. Our ad production manager Sam Schulenberg barely got his feet wet with PFFC, but he’s now well prepared for new Penton adventures. Last but not least, my appreciation goes to publisher Wayne Madden for shepherding us gently, though regretfully, to this point as we depart from you, our kind audience, to whom we will always remain in your debt.

And now a word from Claudia. . .Without a doubt, the converting industry seems to attract the nicest people. I’ve had the privilege of working with many of you over the past 12 years as we’ve covered your converting operation or your products and services. In addition, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Yolanda, Nsenga, Michael, David, and Tim—a terrific team. Thanks to everyone for your willingness to teach me about our great industry. I’ve had a blast!